Stakeholders Reflect On Storytelling, Africa’s Untold Narratives

As the year draws to a close, the African International Documentary Festival Foundation (AFIDFF) gathered in Abuja for an evening of reflection, one marked by gratitude, quiet pride and a renewed commitment to telling Africa’s stories from within.

The gathering, described as an evening of reminiscing, brought together members of the AFIDFF community to revisit the documentaries produced in 2025, the images captured, and the collective sacrifices that sustained the organisation’s work across the year.

It was also a moment to look ahead, with 2026 framed as a year of deeper impact and expanded reach.
At the event, the director-general of AFIDFF, Mr. Malame Mangzha, underscored the organisation’s belief that Africa’s cultural heritage, history, politics and philosophies have long shaped global civilisation, even when those contributions are underrepresented or misunderstood.

She said documentary storytelling remains one of the most powerful tools for correcting distorted narratives and preserving moments that define communities. According to her, amplifying voices from the margins is not optional but essential to capturing Africa’s lived realities and safeguarding its heritage for future generations.

For over a decade, AFIDFF has worked to promote Africa’s rich cultural heritage, with a strong focus on Nigeria. The Foundation has built its identity around documentary filmmaking, cultural education and heritage preservation, while also nurturing a new generation of storytellers who can tell African stories from African perspectives.

“Our work is about preserving memory and identity,” Mrs Mangzha said. “We promote heritage sites, monuments and histories, while empowering young people to document their own communities accurately and creatively.”

Although AFIDFF operates across Nigeria, much of its work in 2025 focused on northern regions, particularly the North-East, where conflict and insurgency have threatened cultural landmarks. In these communities, the Foundation engaged in heritage restoration, youth empowerment and cultural education as a form of healing and continuity.

A key pillar of this effort has been AFIDFF’s five-year collaboration with UNESCO through the World Heritage Volunteers Programme. Through this partnership, young people are trained to understand the value of heritage preservation and actively participate in protecting historic sites. One such site is the Sukur Cultural Landscape in Adamawa State, where AFIDFF worked alongside national cultural agencies and the state government to restore and promote the site.

Tourism promotion also featured prominently in the Foundation’s 2025 activities. Two months ago, AFIDFF concluded a major heritage documentation project in Kano State, spotlighting the historic Kano City Walls and associated sites including the Emir’s Palace, Kurmi Market and centuries-old dye pits known for traditional indigo craftsmanship. The project also highlighted loom weaving by women artisans, reinforcing the link between culture, livelihoods and identity.

Mrs Mangzha observed that many Nigerians travel abroad for tourism without realising the depth of history and beauty within their own country. AFIDFF’s work, she explained, is designed to bridge that gap by promoting domestic tourism and repositioning Nigeria’s heritage sites as destinations of pride and economic opportunity.

In 2025, volunteers from different parts of the world participated in Kano-based heritage projects, many of whom expressed surprise at the richness and preservation of the state’s cultural history. The Kano State Government and Emirate Council, she added, demonstrated strong commitment to sustaining these sites.